Buying Tips

from Hemmings Motor News

There are plenty of worthwhile collector cars for sale today that are priced far more reasonably than in several years past, so the time couldn't be better if you want to make your old-car dreams come true.
For many people, the thought of buying an old car has always been too nerve-wracking, simply because they don't know much about cars, only that they want to own a car just like the one their parents used to have, or one that they have fond childhood memories of. So if you fall into that category, don't fret: Here are a few buying tips to help you avoid getting stuck with a piece of worthless junk.
If there's a car you're interested in buying, but you live in Louisiana and the car is located in South Dakota, and you just can't get there anytime soon to look at it, consider hiring an appraiser to inspect it for you. The cost of an appraiser is usually far less than the cost of a round-trip plane ticket, and, more importantly, you will get an honest assessment of the car's condition and what it's really worth, without the hassle of traveling to go see it. In fact, even if the car you want to buy is located right near where you live, it still makes sense to hire a knowledgeable appraiser to look it over so you can avoid any future issues that can be costly later on. By knowing exactly what the car needs before you buy it, you will be in a better position to bargain with the seller and get the car for a lower price. By spending a few hundred dollars to have a car appraised ahead of time, you will save yourself a whole lot more money in the long run.
If you plan on inspecting the car yourself, take a friend along who knows more than you do about cars, as a second opinion often has merit. Stand back and look at the car from 20 feet away, as it will be far more revealing than an up-close inspection. This will afford you a better view of the body, and how it appears whole. Check the gaps between the body panels; they should all be spaced uniformly apart. If the gaps are way too narrow on one side of the car and too far apart on the other side, then more than likely it has been in an accident and was not repaired properly.
Lift the carpets, especially those on the driver's side, and inspect the floor pan for holes due to corrosion; look closely at the area near the pedals. Also, press down on the floor pan to see if it flexes excessively; if so, it's probably very thin due to rust, and will have to be replaced. Check under the carpets in the rear, too, as this area can sometimes be in worse condition.
On the outside of the car, below the doors, are the rocker panels. This is a structural part of the body, which essentially ties the front to the rear. Check for rust holes, weakness in the metal or other signs of corrosion. Most likely, reproduction rocker panels are available, but they will have to be installed by a specialist as it does involve welding and some metal fabrication. Other areas that rust are the bottom of the doors, fenders and quarter panels, the bottom of the firewall and the battery box.
Stand about 20 feet behind the car and check to see if both tires are spaced evenly apart from the edge of the body. If not, then the entire rear axle assembly has shifted, most probably due to a past accident. While you're back there, inspect the trunk floor pan for corrosion. Lift the trunk mat and look at the corners by the wheelwells, a usual location for serious rust problems. Also check the outside quarter panels from the inside to see if there are any telltale signs of past bodywork.
Take extra precaution with convertibles, especially those that are unibody cars (without frames) as they are more apt to flex if the body structure has been weakened by corrosion. Open the doors slowly and note if there's any excessive movement. When you close the door, if it appears too tight and you have to really push the door to close it, then something is wrong; more than likely the body is folding inwards due to a rust problem on its underside. This can be costly to repair.
Better yet, join the appropriate car club. Talk to the members and get advice from those who really know. Collector-car owners are your best resource to help make your old-car dreams come true.

This article originally appeared in the October, 2011 issue of Hemmings Motor News.